Luminous watch



March 14, 1961 J. WEGNER LUMINOUS WATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 51,1958 March-14, 1961 J. WEGNER LUMINOUS WATCH I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMarch 31, 1958 United States Patent LUMINOUS WATCH Josef Wegner, Zurich,Switzerland, assignor to Globo Investment Trust, Schaan, LiechtensteinFiled Mar. 31, 1958, Ser. No. 725,408

Claims priority, application Switzerland Mar. 30, 1957 6 Claims. (Cl.58-50) This invention relates to luminous watches, and in particular toluminous wrist-Watches comprising within the watchcase an incandescentlamp to enlighten the dial, a source of electric energy and a circuitbreaker, said watches further comprising outside the case a controlmember to actuate said circuit breaker.

An example of such a watch is described in my copending application Ser.No. 599,638, now Patent No. 2,916,- 871. In that watch the source ofelectric energy is constituted by an accumulator fixed to the watchcasebottom and the control member of the circuit breaker is constituted by apusher mounted at the periphery of the caseband. As regards theincandescent lamp it is carried by the base-plate of the watch movement.The wires connecting these electric elements with one another extend atthe periphery of the watch movement either between the latter and thewatchcase or between the movement and the dial.

In the luminous wrist-watch described in my copending applicationmentioned above it is the watchmaker who sets the watch movement intothe case who must also ensure all the necessary electrical contacts andthat is a great drawback, because the watchmaker is usually not skilledfor such a work.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a luminous watchof the type indicated above, in which setting the movement into thewatchcase can be done as with usual nonluminous watches, i.e. withouttaking care of the electric equipment of the watch.

A further object of the invention consists of providing the watch with amember made of insulating material and carrying both the incandescentlamp and the electrical wires which connect the electric elements of thewatch with one another, said insulating member being arranged so that itcan be set into the watchcase as a single unit, said wires having bareend portions outsidesaid member where electrical contacts must beestablished withthe electric elements carried by the watchcase, and saidportions being so arranged as to establish automatically the necessaryelectrical contacts when the said member of insulating material is setinto the watchcase together with the watch movement.

Still further objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription.

' One embodiment of the luminous watch according to the invention isrepresented diagrammatically and by way of example in the drawingsannexed to this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of said embodiment;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view partly in section of a member of the watchof Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the member of Fig. 2.

In the watch represented 1 designates a ring made of insulating plastic.This ring 1 surrounds the movement 12 of a standard wrist-watch. It isfixed to the movement 12 as if it were a usual enlargement or casingring, by

2,974,474- Patented Mar. 14, 1961 ring 1 is set into a case-band 13 inthe same manner as a movement surrounded by a usual casing orenlargement ring.

The ring 1 is provided with an axial bore forming a lodging to receivean incandescent lamp 2. This lamp 2 extends above the upper face of thering 1, through an aperture 14 of the dial 15. The latter covers notonly the watch movement 12 but also the ring 1. Below the lamp 2 alodging 3 is provided in the ring 1 to enable establishing theelectrical connections when mounting the lamp 2 in the ring 1. As shownin Fig. 2 the terminal 4 of the lamp 2 is connected to the bare endportion projecting into the lodging 3 of a wire 5 which is embedded inthe ring 1 and the terminal 6 of the lamp 2 is similarly connected tothe bare end portion of a wire 7 also embedded in the ring 1. Fig. 3shows the other end portion of the wire 5 at the periphery of thering 1. This bare end portion of this wire 5 automatically comes incontact with the case-band 13 of the watch, when the ring 1 is set inplace into the watchcase. As regards the other end portion of wire 7 itextends into a notch 8 of the ring 1, which is provided opposite apusher 16 mounted in the case-band 13. The pusher 16 is of a usual typewell known in the art. It is slidably mounted in a body member 17 set Iwith force fit into a bore provided through the case-band 13. Toinsulate the pusher 16 a sleeve 18 of insulating material is interposedbetween the case-band 13 and the body member 17. The pusher 16 comprisesa rod 19 which can be moved inwards in the direction of arrow a of Fig.3 against the action of a return spring 20. Eventually the ring 1carries a wire 9 having also one end 10 projecting into the notch 8 ofring 1. This end 10 of wire 9 is permanently in contact with the rod 19of pusher 16, Whereas the other end 11 of wire 9 extends towards thewatchcase bottom 21 and comes in contact with the inner pole 25 of anaccumulator 22 fixed to the bottom 21 by means of a ring 23 screwed intoan axially extending peripheral rim of the watchcase bottom. Detailsabout this accumulator are described in my copending application Ser.No. 599,638.

It follows from the description above that the end portions of wires 5,7 and 9 automatically establish all the ring 1 is merely set togetherwith the watch movement 12 into the case thereof.

When actuating the pusher 16 in the direction of arrow a the end 10 ofwire 9 comes in contact with the adjacent end of wire 7 thus closing thelamp circuit through the I following elements: inner pole 25 of theaccumulator 22,

wire end 11 in contact therewith, wire 9, wire 7, lamp 2, wire 5,case-band 13 to which the bare end portion of wire 5 is electricallyconnected, and outer pole of the accumulator 22 which is constituted bythe watchcase I bottom 21 as described in my copending applicationmenmeans well known in the art but which are not shown. 4

tioned above.

As in said copending application Ser. No. 599,638 the accumulator 22 canbe recharged by merely connecting the terminals of a battery forinstance of a common torch to the watchcase and to the pusher 16,respectively, since the watchcase belongs to the ground to which theouter .accumulator pole is connected, while the pusher 16, which isinsulated from the watchcase by the sleeve 18, is electrically connectedin permanence with the inner pole of the accumulator through the wire 9.

To prevent the end 10 of wire 9 from passing at the side of rod 19 whenactuating the pusher 16 a diametrical slot 24 is provided in the innerend face of rod 19 to receive the end 10 of wire 9.

To embed the wires 5,7 and 9 in the ring 1, the latter is preferablymade of two pieces which are glued on to one another, said wires beingmerely set between said two pieces before gluing.

As is apparent from the above description, the case 13 together with thecrystal carried thereby and the cover 21 form a hollow outer unit of thewatch, while the watch movement 12 and the dial 15 carried thereby formtogether with the ring 1 an inner unit which is received in and carriedby the outer unit when the watch is assembled. An electrical circuitmeans is formed by the lamp 2, the source of electricity 22, themanually operable switch formed by the plunger 19 together with the freeend of the wire 7 which is in the notch 8 and the free end 10 of thewire 9, and the electrical circuit means also includes electricalconductors which interconnect the lamp 2, the source 22, and the switchformed by the plunger 19 and the free ends of the wires 7 and 9 whichare located in the notch 8 for forming between these elements anelectrical circuit which is closed when the switch is closed so as toenergize the lamp 2 upon closing the switch. The electrical conductorsof the electrical circuit means include not only the wires 5, 7, and 9,but also the case 13 and cover 2 1 which serves to provide theelectrical connection between the wire and the source of current 22, andof course the conductors of the electrical circuit means also includethe free end 11 of the wire 9 and the part of the source 22 which isengaged by this free end 11 of the wire 9. This electrical circuit meansincludes a number of exposed electrically conductive ,portions at theinner unit and an equal number of exposed electrically conductiveportions at the outer unit, and all of these electrically conductiveportions form parts of the conductors. Thus, the free end of the wire 5at the outer periphery of the ring 1 forms one of the exposedelectrically conductive portions carried by the inner unit, and the freesurface at the inner periphery of the case 13 which is engaged by theend of the wire 5 forms a corresponding exposed electrically conductiveportion carried by the outer unit. In the same way the free end 11 ofthe Wire 9 forms an exposed electrically conductive portion carried bythe inner unit while the surface of the source 22 which is engaged bythe free end 11 of the wire 9 forms a corresponding exposed electricallyconductive portion carried by the outer unit. Thus it is clear that theelectrical circuit means of the invention is carried in part by theouter unit and in part by the inner unit, and the exposed portions ofthe inner unit, which is to say the free end of wire 5 at the outerperiphery of the ring 1 and the free end 11 of the wire 9, respectivelycontact the exposed portions of the outer unit, which is to say thesurface portion of the case 13 engaged by the wire 5 and the surf-aceportion of the source 22 engaged by the free end 11 of the wire 9, sothat when the inner unit is assembled within the outer unit theseengaging exposed electrically conductive portions of the electricalcircuit means will provide continuity of the circuit between the innerand outer units exclusively by engagement between the electricallyconductive exposed portions which are carried by these units. Of course,the exposed electrically conductive portions of the inner unit will bespaced from and out of electrical conductivity with the exposedelectrically conductive portions of the outer unit when the inner unitis disassembled from the outer unit.

It is obviously not necessary to locate the lamp and the wires used forautomatically establishing tall the necessary electrical contacts in aring surrounding the watch movement. With a shaped movement set in acircular case the lamp and the said wires could be located in aninsulating member set in the free space remaining between the straightsides of the watch movement and the case thereof. Eventually the membercarrying the incandescent lamp and the wires could also be constituted'by a plate which can be fixed on to the watch movement as a bridgethereof when setting the movement into the case.

While I have described in detail one embodiment of my invention, I wishto be understood that various changes in the shap sizes and arrangementof parts could be resorted to within the scope of the appended claimswithout departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing theadvantages thereof.

I claim:

1. In a watch, in combination, a hollow outer unit including awatchc-ase, crystal and cover; an inner unit including an insulatingmember, a watch movement and dial, said inner unit being received in andcarried by said outer unit when the Watch is assembled; and electricalcircuit means carried in part by said outer unit and in part by saidinner unit and including a lamp for illuminating the dial, a source ofelectricity, a manually operable switch, and electrical conductorsinterconnecting said lamp, source and switch and providing between theman electrical circuit which is closed when said switch is closed, so asto energize said lamp upon closing of said switch, said electricalcircuit means including a number of exposed electrically conductiveportions carried by said inner unit and an equal number of exposedelectrically conductive portions carried by said outer unit, all of saidelectrically conductive exposed portions forming parts of saidconductors, and said exposed portions of said inner unit respectivelycontacting said exposed portions of said outer unit, when said innerunit is assembled within said outer unit, and providing continuity ofsaid circuit between said units exclusively by engagement between saidexposed portions of said units, said exposed electrically conductiveportions of said inner unit being spaced from and out of electricalconductivity with said exposed electrically conductive portions of saidouter unit when said inner unit is disassembled from said outer unit.

2. In a watch as recited in claim 1, said insulating member havingembedded therein, at least in part, a plurality of wires which formparts of said electrical conductors.

3. In a watch as recited in claim 2, said insulating member being fixedto said watch movement.

4. In a watch as recited in claim 3, said insulating member being in theform of a ring surrounding said movement and fixed thereto.

5. In a watch as recited in claim 1, said manually operable switchincluding a stationary switch contact and a movable switch contact bothcarried by said inner unit and a manually operable means carried by saidouter unit and engaging said movable switch contact when said inner unitis assembled within said outer unit for moving said movable switchcontact into engagement with said stationary switch contaotuponactuation of said manually operable means by the operator.

6. In a watch, in combination, an electrically conductive watch case; acover removably connected to said case; a battery connected to saidcover and carried thereby and having a ground connection with said coverand case; a watch movement surrounded by said case a ring ofelectrically nonconductive material surrounding and fixed to saidmovement and also surrounded by said case, said ring being formed in itsouter periphery with a notch directed toward said case; a lamp carriedby said ring for illuminating a dial carried by said movement when saidlamp is energized; a pair of electrical conductors embedded in said ringand respectively connected electrically with said 'lamp, one of saidconductors extending through said ring to an outer surface thereof wheresaid one conductor engages said case to be grounded thereto, and theother of said conductors extending into said notch Where a free endportion of said other conductor forms a stationary contact of a switch;a third conductor having a free end located in said notch at a greaterradial distance from the center of said ring than said free end portionof said other conductor and said free end portion of said thirdconductor forming a springy movable contact adapted to be moved into andout of engagement with said stationary contact, said third conductoralso being embedded in said ring and having distant from said notch asecond free end portion bearing directly against a pole of said batteryso that when said movable switch contact engages said stationary switchcontact a circuit through said lamp will be closed to energize said lampand illuminate the dial; and a manually operable plunger carried by saidcase for radial movement toward and away from the center of said ring,s-aid plunger having a free end located within said notch and engagingsaid movable contact so that when said plunger is moved by the operatortoward the center of said ring said movable contact will be placed inengagement with said stationary contact to complete the circuit, wherebywhen the watch is disassembled said ring upon movement out of said casewill simply move 15 1,851,688

said one conductor out of contact with said case and said second freeend portion of said third conductor out of contact with said batterywhile also moving said movable contact out of contact With said plunger,and when the watch is assembled said free end of said one conductoragain engaging said case, said second free end portion of said thirdconductor again engaging said pole of said battery, and said plungeragain engaging said movable contact simply by assembly of the watch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OlsonJuly 10, 1917 Warren Mar. 29, 1932

